1. #35161
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JackDaw View Post
    Any idea what Trump New York hotel is like?

    I walked past it a couple of times when I was in New York, looked at room rates and gut feeling (based on how garish outside was) that you’d need to be insane to stay there.

    I was tempted to go inside for a look round, but my spider danger sense told me to walk quickly past, if gone inside suspect might have been billed 50 bucks if I trod on a peanut or some such.
    I've never stayed in onme and the only thing I can say is a local radio host said he did at the NYC Trump International and the room was nice. But then some Trump hotels are only using his name and they pay him a fee.

    The Chicago hotel on the Chicago River is mix of condos and hotel rooms but the sales of the condos haven't been doing well. It has retail space available but I remember walking past it a few years before the pandemic and it looked like nothing was going on there. This recent Chicago Sun Times article tells how he is getting a break on his taxes because of the mostly empty retail space and shows a picture.

  2. #35162
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    Well this didn't take long...the launch of Trump's social media platform gets off to a rocky start...it's already been hacked


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    One suspects that the company Trump hired for the build and maintenance of the site was a bargain basement outfit. As I mentioned before, he will probably stiff them on the bill and not pay them anyway as is his usual way of handling his business affairs.
    They are already under legal threat for ripping off open source code and violating licenses to build it.

    Trump’s social network has 30 days to stop breaking the rules of its software license

    The Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) says former President Donald Trump’s new social network violated a free and open-source software licensing agreement by ripping off decentralized social network Mastodon. The Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) has 30 days to comply with the terms of the license before its access is terminated — forcing it to rebuild the platform or face legal action.

    TMTG launched a special purpose acquisition company fundraising effort yesterday with promises to build a sweeping media empire. Its only product so far is a social network called Truth Social that appears strongly to be forked from Mastodon. While anyone can freely reuse Mastodon’s code (and groups like right-wing social network Gab have already done so), they still have to comply with the Affero General Public License (or AGPLv3) that governs that code, and its conditions include offering their own source code to all users.

    Truth Social doesn’t comply with that license and, in fact, refers to its service as “proprietary.” Its developers apparently attempted to scrub references that would make the Mastodon connection clear — at one point listing a “sighting” of the Mastodon logo as a bug — but included direct references to Mastodon in the site’s underlying HTML alongside obvious visual similarities.

  3. #35163

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    On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” posted profiles of the U.S. House Representative from South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Mark Sanford, a man who while Governor of South Carolina, was once considered a possible future president. That, of course, came to a screeching halt after he went “hiking the Appalachian Trail”. And by that, we mean that he said he was hiking when he actually was taking personal trips to see his Argentinian mistress. This led to Sanford leaving office in disgrace, and of course, an ugly divorce from his wife with a settlement agreement that Sanford has repeatedly been accused of violating, including letting himself over to her place while she wasn’t home to watch the Super Bowl without her knowledge. The last time we checked, Jenny Sanford had forced him to undergo a psychiatric exam for some of his bizarre behavior, like digging holes with a tractor on his property.

    In typical hypocritical GOP fashion, the adulterer Sanford also was a self-professed champion of “the sanctity of marriage” who wanted to protect the institution from all those gay folks who might threaten it while he was busy sneaking off to see his mistress and shirking his duties as governor. He returned to the Congressional seat he vacated while serving as Governor by winning a public debate he held between himself and a cardboard cutout of Nancy Pelosi (really), and then made the classy move of breaking up with the mistress who he nearly ruined his career for over Facebook while she was in Paris.

    Mark Sanford survived a close primary in 2016, partially because he bizarrely spent almost no money on his campaign in that race, befuddling South Carolina Republicans, who know that just invited others to take a shot at knocking him off in 2018. That likelihood was even greater given reports that the Congressman’s fundraising efforts were abysmal. Remember, Sanford’s ex-wife Jenny’s family fortune and connections had a lot to do with his political success prior to his affair. He parlayed what he had into a political comeback in 2012, faced no challenger in 2014, and seems like he was just going through the motions in 2016. As money was looking scarce, he was joking about himself as a “dead man walking”, who is openly critical of Donald Trump and his insane policy ideas. Thus, the incredibly thin-skinned Trump endorsed Sanford’s challenger, Katie Arrington, and she ended up beating Sanford in the 2018 Primary before going on to lose in the general election in November. And watching Trump flail about and ruin the mystique of the GOP, as well as the grudge that developed over ending his Congressional career… Mark Sanford decided he would run for president in 2020 as a palatable alternative to Donald Trump for “Never Trump” Republicans. The Republican National Committee took swift action earlier this year to assure there would be an uphill battle for any GOP Primary challengers who might emerge, but honestly, even as Trump screeches forward towards much-deserved impeachment, Sanford’s presidential aspirations might just be symbolic at best… only one person showed up to his campaign announcement. He is now out of office, and unlikely to ever return.
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    On this date one year ago, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day”, first profiled the current U.S. House Representative from South Carolina’s 5th District, Ralph Norman, a long-time South Carolina state legislator who was first elected to Congress back in 2017, winning office by finishing second in the GOP Primary for the seat in a special election, and then winning the runoff for that seat by all of 221 votes. That set him up to defeat the Democratic candidate, Archie Parnell, in the general election and advance to replace former Congressman Mick Mulvaney (who went on to be the Trump administration’s crooked budget director).

    The point where Ralph Norman stood out the most since taking office, however, was when he was questioned by representatives of Moms Demand Action on Gun Violence at a campaign event while running for re-election in April of 2018 and Norman pulled out a loaded .38. If that doesn’t sound a tad extreme enough, he was quoted as he placed the gun on the table as boasting,“I’m not going to be a Gabby Giffords,” which is a pretty disrespectful take on how Giffords was shot, frankly. That somehow isn’t the most offensive thing he’s said about a Democratic woman during that campaign.

    In September of 2018, while shocking revelations were being revealed about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh being credibly accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford and then, Deborah Ramirez, Ralph Norman thought it would be a great idea to open up with a “joke” about women accusing men of making up accusations against Republicans, saying that “Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out saying she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.

    Classy, no? It’s the sort of highbrow commentary you would expect from the sort of mother***er who would start petitioning for the openly racist Congressman, Steve King, to be reinstated to all of his committee assignments. Yes, Ralph Norman felt Rep. King deserved his 189th chance at not being racist from party leadership.

    So there’s no surprise that his voting record looks like this:



    South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District has a +9 Republican lean in the Cook Partisan Voting Index, giving him the leg up he needs to win re-election provided he can survive any primary challenge.

    Ralph Norman has spent most of the past 18 months putting out misinformation about Covid-19, he’s hanging out with a bunch of quack doctors (yes, including the demon sperm lady) and claiming they have a cure for Covid-19 (they don’t). Social media platforms, incidentally, yanked Norman’s campaign video for having misleading information, and since winning re-election, he’s continued lying his ass off about Dr. Anthony Fauci.

    We’re now seeing Ralph Norman in his third term in office, and frankly, we don’t know how me manages to operate the doorknob to get out of the house everyday.
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  5. #35165
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidfresh512 View Post
    They are already under legal threat for ripping off open source code and violating licenses to build it.

    Trump’s social network has 30 days to stop breaking the rules of its software license
    Trump and his cronies? Ripping someone off? I’m shocked! Shocked I tell you!
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  6. #35166
    Astonishing Member JackDaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    I've never stayed in onme and the only thing I can say is a local radio host said he did at the NYC Trump International and the room was nice. But then some Trump hotels are only using his name and they pay him a fee.

    The Chicago hotel on the Chicago River is mix of condos and hotel rooms but the sales of the condos haven't been doing well. It has retail space available but I remember walking past it a few years before the pandemic and it looked like nothing was going on there. This recent Chicago Sun Times article tells how he is getting a break on his taxes because of the mostly empty retail space and shows a picture.
    At times, suspect the Donald is a negative billionaire owing the banks so much money they dare not pull the plug.

  7. #35167
    Unadjusted Human on CBR SUPERECWFAN1's Avatar
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    Truth Social becoming a debacle at testing launch is perhaps the news we all expected.
    "The story so far: As usual, Ginger and I are engaged in our quest to find out what the hell is going on and save humanity from my nemesis, some bastard who is presumably responsible." - Sir Digby Chicken Caesar.
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  8. #35168
    Ultimate Member Mister Mets's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xheight View Post
    Marc Elias, general counsel for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and former Perkins Cole partner https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/...-vote-by-mail/


    The same guy working for Stacy Abrams - https://www.courtlistener.com/docket...perger/?page=1 20

    "May 14, 2020 APPLICATION for Admission of Mark Erik Elias Pro Hac Vice (Application fee $ 150, receipt number AGANDC-9699147). with Brief In Support by Reagan Jennings, The New Georgia Project, Candace Woodall. (Sparks, Adam)"

    Organize shock troops if Trump Claimed a win and it was called for him?
    "Transition Integrity Project (TIP). This “bipartisan” establishment network has been war-gaming various scenarios involving the upcoming 2020 election. The goal: ensuring Trump leaves the White House no matter what, even if it means a “street fight” or military involvement to secure a Biden victory. TIP and its operatives such as John Podesta (of “spirit cooking” fame) are already laying the groundwork to try to overthrow Trump and secure major institutional changes even if the president wins in a clear victory, the group’s leaked report revealed. " link to TIP document already posted in this thread

    Among other strategies, the outfit has floated the idea of states ignoring voters to send Biden electors to the Electoral College. It has also called for Big Tech social-media companies to censor information it disagrees with. And it is not-so-subtly encouraging revolutionary Marxist groups to unleash hell. TIP group organizer, Nils Gilman, Berggruen Institute, btw called for the actual execution of Trump national security official Michael Anton as a Nazi criminal.
    It seems you're stretching the truth here. I've covered the war games before.

    https://www.newsweek.com/bipartisan-...-house-1520561

    They weren't saying the goal was for Trump to leave the White House no matter what. Hell, a purpose of the war games was to see what the options were for parties if someone does something unprecedented.

    These legal document seems to be different things. Some guy writing about Marc Elias doesn't mean everything he says is inarguably correct.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xheight View Post
    Oh but Bernie can't win -

    Same issue
    Politico


    Would Manchinema even be a problem if the DNC hadn't done a hit on Bernie and scared everyone to vote Biden? which reminds me I have to use my dental benefit before the year runs out. Nous?
    Given Biden's strength in the 2020 Super Tuesday primaries, he likely would've eked out a win if the DNC stayed neutral.

    Sanders had a campaign strategy of narrow pluralities. It didn't work when his opponents united. I'm still not sure it would've worked even if Buttigieg and Klobuchar had stayed in the race longer.

    A longer primary fight might've hurt the party although it's worth noting Biden and Sanders get along pretty well, and got along okay before (Biden gave Sanders some advice during the 2016 prim

    I do suspect that if Sanders had won the primary, he would've lost the General Election. The Democrats would unite behind him. There would be some grousing about the narrowness of his win. There would also be a bandwagon effect as wins beget wins.
    But he would get his ass kicked in November. Trump might even win the popular vote. Democrats wouldn't need to worry about holding onto a 50/50 Senate because they probably would've lost both Georgia races, in addition to the Senate races in Michigan and Arizona.


    Quote Originally Posted by Kirby101 View Post
    It's so funny watching Trump supporters here comparing Democrats who questioned an election where their candidate won the popular vote but lost the election by the slimest margins of votes, and their guy who lost the popular vote bigly and lost the election, and then incited an insurrection. Both sides hoo-ha.
    The popular vote does not matter when it comes to election law. It's relevant for some narrow questions, like when someone suggested a majority of Americans might support Trump.

    It's also worth noting that criticism of 2016 was not limited to opposition to the electoral college.

    It is appropriate for people to think the popular vote is a superior way to determine the winner of a presidential election, and to express that opinion. But the discussion about political rhetoric post-January 6 suggests that the advocates should express their opinions with care to avoid any error or misunderstanding, the same way they insist Trump supporters discuss election procedures.

    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    This guy obviously hasn't read the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. This was one of the reasons why the colonists came from England in the first place.
    I suspect he would be able to articulate a position that separation of church and state is not in the constitution or the bill of rights. It does comes from letters by Thomas Jefferson that the Supreme Court cited in an 1879 opinion, and subsequent decisions. But the history is a bit more complex than many assume.
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    Unadjusted Human on CBR SUPERECWFAN1's Avatar
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    No idea how truthful this is , but a friend told me that for Trump's "Truth Social" platform there are 2 important rules.

    1- You can't make fun of Donald Trump.

    2- You can't say anything negative about his companies.


    So basically he's created a social network so people won't say mean things about him if true. Its one of those comedy moments.
    "The story so far: As usual, Ginger and I are engaged in our quest to find out what the hell is going on and save humanity from my nemesis, some bastard who is presumably responsible." - Sir Digby Chicken Caesar.
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  10. #35170
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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    Men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse can be called ‘rioters’ and ‘looters’ but not ‘victims,’ judge rules

    A Wisconsin judge ruled Monday that attorneys in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial could refer to the men the teen shot in Kenosha, Wis., last year as “rioters,” “looters” and “arsonists.” They could not, however, describe Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, who were killed, and Gaige Grosskreutz, who was wounded, as “victims” because the term was “loaded,” the judge said.

    The ruling comes ahead of what’s expected to be a contentious trial. Rittenhouse, then 17, shot the men in downtown Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, with an AR-15-style rifle after crossing state lines during the turmoil sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by Rusten Sheskey, a White police officer. Rittenhouse was with fellow armed men who had tasked themselves with patrolling Kenosha’s streets amid the chaos.

    Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder laid out final ground rules before the trial next week. Rittenhouse faces homicide charges in the deaths of Rosenbaum, 36, and Huber, 26, and an attempted homicide charge for shooting Grosskreutz, 27. He also is charged with being a minor in possession of a firearm. Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his attorneys are expected to argue that he acted in self-defense.
    Schroeder said that while he advised Rittenhouse’s team against using pejorative terms to describe the three men shot, such language could be used in their closing arguments if evidence shows the men participated in criminal acts. Schroeder said Mark Richards, one of Rittenhouse’s attorneys, could “demonize them if he wants, if he thinks it will win points with the jury,” according to the Chicago Tribune, the first to report the news.

    “If more than one of them were engaged in arson, rioting, looting, I’m not going to tell the defense you can’t call them that,” the judge said. Grosskreutz, the lone survivor of the shooting, has not been charged with a crime from that night.

    Schroeder’s ground rules reiterated his earlier ruling, in which he stated that the men shot by Rittenhouse could not be called “victims” because the term was prejudicial toward the teen. But on Monday, the judge also allowed the defense to use terms such as “rioters,” “looters” and “arsonists” to refer to those men.
    Sigh......facepalm
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  11. #35171
    Horrific Experiment JCAll's Avatar
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    Are we still allowed to call them "People", or does anyone that stands against conservative terrorists cease to be a human being?

  12. #35172
    Ultimate Member Malvolio's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JackDaw View Post
    At times, suspect the Donald is a negative billionaire owing the banks so much money they dare not pull the plug.
    My g/f and I went to Atlantic City in 2017 and stayed at Bally's. We could see the Trump Taj Mahal directly across the boardwalk from our window, or rather, the Taj Mahal, as the Trump name had been removed from it. You could see the slightly different shade of white where the Trump logo had been. All because only Donald Trump could go bankrupt running a casino, probably because he had to put his name up in big gold letters everywhere the eye could see. That had to cut into his profit margin at some point.
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    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    Short and sweet: If Rittenhouse were black, you DAMN well know the people he shot would be called victims. White privilege strikes again.

    Quote Originally Posted by Malvolio View Post
    My g/f and I went to Atlantic City in 2017 and stayed at Bally's. We could see the Trump Taj Mahal directly across the boardwalk from our window, or rather, the Taj Mahal, as the Trump name had been removed from it. You could see the slightly different shade of white where the Trump logo had been. All because only Donald Trump could go bankrupt running a casino, probably because he had to put his name up in big gold letters everywhere the eye could see. That had to cut into his profit margin at some point.
    Only the goddamn mint makes more money than casinos, yet, Trump bankrupted TWO of them! Beyond amazing! And people crowed that the Donald would make a great president because of his business sense. Give. Me. A. Break.
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  14. #35174
    Extraordinary Member CaptainEurope's Avatar
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    If anyone hasn't voted yet, we need a tie breaker in the cover contest.


    And to keep this political: Several members of the far right AfD party had to sit in the visitors' seats during the inaugural session of the new German parliamentary session for refusing to abide by the house rules of providing evidence of vaccination or a recent covid test. FCpCGw4XMActoe7.jpg

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    Well, the saga of the Western turned horror movie shoot Rust is turning even more messed up. Looks like it was a systemic failure due to a budget that was too low to safely shoot this movie. Members of the crew went plinking during lunch, and might have brought back live ammo to the set. The armorer was inexperienced and lacked confidence in her own abilities. The AD had been fired from a previous production for safety concerns, and there were serious complaints about his conduct on Rust. They both may face criminal liability, (the DA has said they have not ruled out criminal prosecution), as may Baldwin, (for negligence both as an actor for not confirming personally that the gun was safe, and for his role as executive producer).

    Sad affair all around, and not what the movie industry needs right now. Hopefully, Hollywood will do something to improve set safety...but I won't hold my breath, as Brandon Lee or Hexum or Vic Morrow should have already done it. Not to mention all the near deaths on other movies like Titanic or The Abyss, or the more recent death on that train bridge. And countless injuries on both TV and movie sets.

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